About
An American writer known for his Harlem Detective series, he also published the popular 1945 novel, If He Hollers Let Him Go. He was a recipient of the Grand Prix de Litterature Policiere.
Before fame
He was sentenced to 20 to 25 years in prison for armed robbery; he served seven years of this sentence.
Trivia
He moved to France in the 1950s.
Family life
He married Jean Johnson in 1936.
Associated with
He was a friend of Malcolm X.
